A Wheeler Wedding
by DarkShadowFlame
Summary: [TristanMai for a challenge] Weddings are supposed to be happy occasions… not a painful struggle to hide thoughts of what could have been. [JoeyTéa, SerenityDuke, other unrequitedlove pairings]


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A **Wheeler** **Wedding**
    
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Summary: [Tristan-Mai for a challenge] Weddings are supposed to be happy occasions… not a painful struggle to hide thoughts of what could have been. [Joey-Téa, Serenity-Duke, other unrequited-love pairings]

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Pairings: Tristan/Mai was my challenge pairing. Joey/Téa and Serenity/Duke are in here for sake of the plot. There are also hints at Tristan-liked-Serenity, Mai-liked-Joey, and Yugi-liked-Téa.

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Disclaimer: ::hides in corner:: I'm depressed, don't talk to me… No, I don't own it…

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Beginning Notes: This is a response to "_I luv Kai_"'s random pairing challenge. Very cool contest! I was thrilled with the strangeness of my pairing, because I am also strange, and want to thank _I luv Kai_ for setting this up. Also thanks to _Misura_ for letting me know about the contest. And finally, thanks a _lot_ to _Mamono_ for being my 'guinea pig'- that is, helping me choose from my multitude of various and weird plots. ~_^

I am perfectly well aware of how a wedding operates (and how different some styles can be), having been a junior bridesmaid for my aunt and uncle. But to make things a bit easier, I glossed over some of the details and skipped all the pre-wedding bits (which are boring and extensive if you're the sole teenager, let me tell you. ^^;).

Italics function as both flashbacks or thoughts, depending on the context. You'll be able to tell them apart.

I classified this as 'Romance,' but it's a mixture of romance/angst/fluff. ::shrugs:: Enough of this, you can find everything else out for yourself below! I hope you like it! ~_^

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The invitations had read, "A Wheeler Wedding". The napkins bore the inscription "A Wheeler Wedding" in flowing gold letters. The cake, frosted in blue and pink, spelled out "A Wheeler Wedding", with the names of the beaming couples underneath. Even the balloons Yugi had specially ordered had block letters cheerfully announcing "A Wheeler Wedding". Joey and Serenity had been delighted to have found their soulmates at the same time, and with glee planned a double wedding.

Yugi loosened the groomsman's tie he wore and glanced around the room. It was beautiful, all right, but something just seemed… wrong.

It was probably the soon-to-be-wedded. Where Yugi had always pictured Joey and Mai, and Tristan and Serenity (and to be perfectly honest? Téa by his side) happily-ever-after together, there was…

*~*~*

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Yugi was sweeping the floors of the Game Shop when the door banged open and Joey came charging in. Normally, Yugi would have given him a mild reprimand on the noise (since Grandpa wasn't here to do it for him), but the look in Joey's eyes stopped him. "What is it?" Yugi asked, amused.

"I got a…" Joey drew in a breath. "A date!"

"Really?" Yugi leaned the broom against the wall. "You finally_ asked Mai out?"_

"Eh?" Joey stared at him blankly. "Mai who?"

Yugi stared back; he must be joking. "Mai Valentine, Joey?"

"Oh yeah." Joey grinned sheepishly. "That's who I thought you meant." Before Yugi could respond, he rushed on: "No, it's not her. I met… no, I found_ the girl of my dreams!"_

"Really?" Yugi asked again. He wasn't sure what else to say; he wondered what Joey had meant by 'found'. "Do I know her?"

"You sure do!" Joey beamed. "Here, I'll give you a hint… She's really smart and she gets good grades in school! She even helps other people study." His eyes were growing hazy. "But she still knows how to have fun. She's pretty athletic. And she's the best dancer I've ever seen_!"_

"Better than Téa?" Yugi asked, grinning. That was the highest compliment they could give.

Joey simply smiled mysteriously and continued singing the girl's praises. "She has a good sense of humor. But maybe the best thing about her is how loyal she is to her friends! She always knows how to cheer people up, and she'll go to the ends of the earth to help us, and she sticks to us through thick and thin!"

Yugi started to say weakly, "That sounds like…" but his voice trailed away. He noticed Joey's use of the word 'us'.

"And did I mention she's gorgeous_?" Joey continued, his smile and eyes growing brighter, if possible. "Big sparkly blue eyes, soft brown hair, a great figure, long dreamy dancer's legs…"_

"And her beautiful smile," Yugi whispered under his breath. "He forgot her beautiful smile…"

"…and a smile to die for!" Joey sighed dramatically, somehow oblivious to the way Yugi's face had gone pale. "I can't believe I didn't notice how… how… how perfect Téa was before! And I can't believe_ in a million years that she agreed to go out with me!"_

The good thing about sharing your body with an ancient spirit was, should one half of the body faint, the other half could take over and congratulate Joey like nothing was wrong.

*~*~*

The other couple of the day came as something of a surprise to Yugi as well. He had a tendency to bitterly feel that Téa had been taken from him in an unexpected sneak-attack, no matter how unreasonable it was that his two best friends would conspire so, and no matter how many meaningful talks he had with Yami. But if he was talking battles, he mused, the battle for Serenity had really been like a war. And like a war, the way things had gone could be laid out neatly on paper without delving into the hurt feelings underneath.

It was very straightforward. Tristan met Serenity and fell in love, and fell hard. Then Duke met Serenity, fell in love a bit more cautiously, and the two began quarreling over the petite girl. Yugi liked Duke, of course, but had always been of the quiet opinion that Tristan would be better for her. He'd never voiced this opinion, however; especially after Serenity made it clear that she disagreed.

He didn't know what Joey felt of the matter; he and Duke hadn't gotten along when the first met. But things must have gone well- for them, at least- for the wedding day had arrived and everyone was beaming.

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Almost everyone.

*~*~*

Tristan maneuvered through the crowd in and around the church. A happy smile was carefully plastered in his face, hopefully disguising his turmoil underneath. He wasn't sure which was stronger; his agony at losing Serenity or his embarrassment at losing her to Duke Devlin.

Worse yet was the best man's suit he wore, wondering how he would cope.

He'd seen Serenity yesterday; a most painful experience. She'd hugged him, and told him how excited she was, and all he'd been able to do was grimace. Thankfully, she took it for a smile.

Even more thankfully, so far he hadn't seen her smug counterpart, Mr Du-

"Tristan?"

Speak of the girl-stealing devil. Devil, devlin… he wondered if there was some kind of significance there. Maybe that would scare Serenity.

"Hey, Tristan…" Duke shuffled his feet nervously. Tristan noticed sourly that Duke looked a whole lot better in a suit than he did. "How are you?"

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How do you think_, Devlin_? "Fine," he answered shortly.

"That's good…" Duke paused to study the carpet closely. "Er, could I have a word with you?"

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Is he serious? Before Tristan had time to squint suspiciously at Duke's face, the black-haired boy pulled at Tristan's arm and led him off to a corner. _Okay, this is weird. And uncomfortable. And confusing. And-_

"Listen," Duke said in a low voice. His eyes shifted around the room, and landed on the three women of the hour- the two brides-to-be and their maid of honor- Serenity, Téa, and Mai. They were chatting happily, Serenity and Téa about to burst with anticipation and Mai cool and collected as ever. Serenity, feeling her soon-to-be husband's eyes upon her, glanced up and waved at Duke and Tristan in delight. Automatically, Tristan's arm lifted and his mouth curved into a foolish grin before he remembered that Serenity was lost. His eyes met hers briefly, and he desperately tore his gaze away lest he should drown.

He found himself now staring directly into Mai's purple orbs. Her gaze was carefully masked as well, but Tristan saw through to an ocean of pain. In a jolt, he remembered that Mai must be in the same predicament as he. He felt sudden empathy for the girl, as well as wonderment that he should be the one to connect with her. He'd never been close to her; not at all, but of course the last few weeks had changed a lot.

"I just wanted you to know," Duke continued heavily, and with a start Tristan realized they were supposed to be talking. "I didn't want you to be the best man."

Tristan stared at him blankly at this proclamation, feeling a sudden urge to hit him.

"I said it should have been Yugi, but Joey insisted it had to be you," Duke continued, his eyes downcast. "And of course he had the girls on his side, and I gave in."

Finding his voice, Tristan snapped, "Well, thank _you_, Devlin. Next time I get a paper-cut, I'll hand-deliver you the lemon juice to pour on it."

"Don't be stupid!" Duke hissed, looking around. "I didn't mean it to be rude. I just didn't want you to be hurt." He took a deep breath, and Tristan suddenly noticed that there was no malice in Duke's eyes. "I…" Duke continued reluctantly. "I know how much you cared for Serenity."

At that moment, Tristan would have given anything to sprout wings and fly away. He searched the room for someone who could rescue him, but there was nobody. Opening his mouth, he said blankly, "You thought that by distancing me from the wedding, it wouldn't bother me as much." When Duke nodded unhappily, he said in the same dead tone, "I see. Awfully nice of you, Devlin."

He thought Duke jerked his head up to check whether Tristan was being sarcastic or not, but he couldn't be sure. Because immediately after he said that, he'd turned heel and walked away rapidly.

At first, Tristan thought his choice of direction was random, but quickly noticed that his feet were carrying him to where Serenity, Téa, and Mai still stood. Téa was clutching Mai's hand, beaming and bouncing around, and Tristan thought that perhaps Mai needed rescue as badly as he had.

"Hello, ladies," he said, smiling gallantly. He felt Duke's presence at his elbow, and his smile became a little false; Devlin might have been being considerate but he apparently still didn't trust Tristan around his future wife.

"_Hi_, Tristan!" Serenity squealed, eyes glowing in excitement.

"Oh, Tristan," Téa greeted, letting go of Mai's hand and rushing up to him. "I'm so excited!"

"I'm glad for you," he told her, and to his surprise he meant it. Swallowing hard, he turned to Serenity: "And you too, Mrs Devlin."

She smiled at him: "Not yet, Tristan. But thank you." Her voice was 100-percent sincere, and he suddenly realized that she knew he had loved her. Instead of sinking further into depression, however; he found the thought somehow uplifting.

"And you, Mai," Tristan continued, looking in her direction and giving a formal half-bow, "you look lovely." He had meant it as an automatic courtesy, just a thing to say, but as the words passed his lips he realized he meant it. Well, of course he did; Mai Valentine never looked anything but gorgeous; but this time… to clear his head, Tristan quickly added, "Does anyone mind if Mai and I have a word together?"

"Oh no," Téa assured immediately. "You two go on, but be back before the ceremony! We need our best man and maid of honor, after all!" She laughed brightly, and Serenity and Duke joined in, and Tristan realized with a jolt that he and Mai would be walking down the aisle together at the end. He checked to make sure he was taller- he was, but it was close. She was wearing heels that gave her a boost that he felt was ridiculous, though.

Mai was glaring at him suspiciously, though no one seemed to notice, and Tristan hurriedly put his hand on her elbow and led her away. When they were barely out of earshot, Mai demanded, "What do you want to talk to me about, Tristan Taylor?"

Taken a bit aback, Tristan said slowly, "I just wanted to… to make sure you were okay. You know, what with Téa and Jo-"

"I am perfectly all right, and that is none of your business," Mai snapped, growing red in the face. She clenched her fists furiously. "Who do you think you are, Tristan?"

Since she seemed to have answered that herself, and since she didn't seem ready to stop talking anyway, Tristan remained silent.

"I'm sick of people thinking they know how I feel," Mai continued her tirade, balling her fists harder with every word. "There was never anything between Joey and me, and I am perfectly fine watching him and Téa get married. Or else I never- would- have- agreed- to- be- maid- of- honor!" She finished breathless, then blinked and looked down. "You made me break a nail!" she hissed, fixing Tristan with a furious glare and unclenching her fist to inspect the damage. "If I can't fix this, I swear-" She stomped away, muttering under her breath. Tristan blinked after her, wondering _what_ had just happened.

After a moment, when her blonde head had disappeared into the crowd, he wandered over to two of his fellow groomsmen, Yugi and Ryou Bakura. He noticed that Joey was having a quiet conversation in the corner with his mother that seemed to be going well; Mrs Wheeler was smiling approvingly at her son and Joey kept blushing.

Yugi and Ryou seemed to be arguing, but it was a rather pleasant, mild argument, and Tristan listened quietly.

"You should get a _girlfriend_, Ryou," Yugi insisted. Ryou was blushing bright red. "I bet you have lots of girls who like you! You're real polite!" (Tristan refrained from commenting at this point)

"Well-" Ryou began hesitantly, "there's this one girl…"

"You like her?" Yugi demanded eagerly. 

"No," Ryou said, looking away. "But she keeps calling me."

Yugi sighed. "But do you _like_ her, Ryou, do you _like_ her?"

"Not really," Ryou admitted. Seeing Yugi about to open his mouth, he hurriedly asked, "What about _you_?"

It was apparent that it was against his will, but Yugi's gaze traveled across the room to Téa. Tristan and Ryou followed the direction of his eyes, and realized it at the same time.

"Well," Tristan said, before Ryou could stammer out an apology. "This place is just a stewpot of hurt feelings." He threw up his hands and stalked away. He weaved in and out of people, dodging glances and waves. He wasn't sure where he intended to go, but just then Mai emerged from the bathroom, satisfied expression on her face.

"Look," she said, thrusting her hand under Tristan's nose and forcing him to stop. "Good as new."

Tristan glanced at her nails: "Wow!" he exclaimed, in actual awe. "How'd you do that?"

Mai smiled smugly. "Woman's secret."

Tristan laughed and debated apologizing for… for whatever he'd done before, but he didn't. Somehow, he didn't think he needed to. Things were all right now, at least for the next few seconds.

"Hey!" The beaming face of Joey Wheeler appeared over Mai's shoulder. The girl stiffened, and it occurred to Tristan to wonder if the two had been in direct contact since Joey and Téa got engaged.

"Hello, Joey," Mai managed, sounding very normal. Tristan was impressed. "How are you?"

"Nervous," Joey confessed. "I never thought this day would come!"

"None of us did," Mai muttered.

"What?" Joey started to ask, but was interrupted by Tristan.

"Joey, why did you want me to be your best man?" he asked, forgetting that Mai was standing right there.

Joey looked startled. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No, not really," Tristan said. "I thought Yugi was your best bud."

"Well, he is," Joey said, blinking. "And so are you. But you…" he hesitated, searching for the right words. "You always cared for Serenity," he said carefully. "You always watched out for her. And I appreciate that, Tristan. I wanted to say thanks. And I know Serenity, as much as I do, wants to celebrate this day with someone who means a lot to us."

Tristan stared at Joey for a minute, feeling tears prick his eyes. Joey stood undecided for a minute, then opened out his arms. Tristan returned the hug gratefully, squeezing his best friend and clapping his back. Mai stood frozen in place, gaping at Tristan in wonder.

"Thanks, buddy," Tristan said, his voice sounding choked. "Just so you know, I'm not crying."

"Me neither," Joey said, but Mai craned her neck to see a few tears running down his cheeks. "I just can't believe it… I'm getting married!"

"You're getting _married_," Tristan echoed, seeming to really realize it for the first time.

"Do you think this will change anything?" Joey asked, his voice sounding odd.

Tristan was quiet for a long moment, thinking it over carefully. "Yeah," he finally said. "I do."

Joey nodded slowly, still clutching Tristan. "I guess things couldn't stay the same forever," he said sadly.

"Who knows?" Tristan asked, voice slowly returning to normal. "Maybe things will change for the better."

"Yeah…"

"But you know the one thing that'll never change?" Tristan continued.

Joey slowly smiled, and they broke apart. "Best buddies forever," the boys chorused, and proceeded to do a complicated wiggling-thing with their hands that Mai could only assume was a secret handshake. She eyed them with some amusement, then noticed Joey's rumpled hair.

"Enough fooling around," she said in a business-like voice. In one swift motion, Mai whipped the handkerchief out of his breast pocket, wiped all traces of tears off his face, brushed his hair neatly into place, re-folded his handkerchief and put it back in Joey's pocket. "There," she said, patting Joey fondly on the shoulder, "now you can go get married."

Both boys stared at her with something akin to awe. Joey snapped out of it first: "Hey, thanks, Mai," he said, grinning goofily. Awkwardly, he put out his hand, then changed his mind and held out his arms.

Instead of embracing him as Tristan had done, however, Mai shook her head with a small smile and held out her hand as Joey had originally intended. The two shook hands solemnly, then Joey trotted away. Mai watched him go a moment, confusion in her eyes, then turned back to Tristan.

He was still staring at her with the dazed expression in his eyes. For some reason, instead of yelling at him, she felt herself blush. Hurriedly, she demanded, "Well?"

Tristan closed his eyes and gave his head a quick shake. "Okay," he said, biting his lip before holding out his arm. "Ready?"

She gave him a long look, then tentatively reached out and grasped his arm. "Ready," she said, voice steady. The two of them walked, close together, until they reached the rest of the wedding party. They were huddled at the rear of the church, giggling wildly and occasionally hugging at random.

To Tristan's surprised delight, Mai didn't release his arm once they got to their group. A true smile on his face, he listened to the excited hum around him.

Yugi, for one, seemed cheerful. "I can't believe Kaiba came!" he said, peeking at the tall brunette. All decked out in a light blue trenchcoat, Seto Kaiba sat scowling in a pew with a perky Mokuba. "It was awfully nice of you to invite him, Joey." He turned to grin at his startled friend.

"Kaiba's here?" Joey yelped, causing nearly everyone to snicker.

"I invited him, Joey," Téa said, putting a hand on his arm. "He's been through a lot with us."

"I wouldn't put it past him to call me a mutt right in the middle of the ceremony," Joey grumbled, but he was still smiling.

"Marik's here too," Serenity pointed out in her soft voice, gripping hands with Duke. "With Ishizu and Odion."

"Oh dear." Ryou's left eye twitched. "I'm sure he's not interested in helping you cause mischief," he dubiously told what seemed to be thin air, but his friends exchanged grins.

"If his yami decides to make an appearance during the ceremony…" Joey whispered to Téa, but once again there was an absence of any real annoyance. He _still_ couldn't stop smiling.

"Hey," the young, energetic priest said, bouncing up and clutching a Bible. "You all ready to get this party started?"

"_Yes_," everyone chorused. Tristan had said 'yes' energetically, and at his side he sensed Mai saying it too. And they meant it, both of them; with all of their hearts.

"Then let's go!" he said, leading the men away. Joey and Duke turned to wave at their very-soon-to-be brides, and for some reason Tristan lifted a hand to Mai. Then they walked toward the altar, decked out in a multitude of flowers, toward whatever would come next.

*~*~*

The priest droned on- well, droned wasn't the right word, perhaps; the priest was good, but Tristan couldn't pay attention. His whole attention was fixed on the perfectly content look on Serenity's face. She was _happy_. And, if he wasn't mistaking the warm sensation in his stomach, so was he. Tristan shifted his gaze to Mai to see the usual mask absolutely removed. She was smiling softly at Téa, but apparently felt Tristan's gaze upon her, for abruptly she lifted her eyes. Before he could look away, they made contact, and out of impulse he winked.

A burst of cheering brought his attention back with a snap, and he beamed as Joey and Téa, and Serenity and Duke, wrapped their arms around each other and kissed softly. A quick scan of the audience revealed that even Seto Kaiba was no longer scowling, though he was nowhere close to the wild cheers coming from his now-teenage brother.

The couples hadn't stopped kissing, and Tristan felt it his duty as best man to give Duke a swift wake-up kick in the ankle. Joey and Téa stopped too, still clutching each other and beaming (Téa was crying), and the music swelled up.

Patiently, Tristan waited for his turn to walk, staring dreamily after Mr and Mrs Wheeler and Mr and Mrs Devlin, wondering why his heart was thudding. Mai took his arm once again, and his heartbeat picked up more wildly than ever, and the two made their way down the isle. Mai was grinning and gave his arm a squeeze, and Tristan managed to slide her closer.

The reception flew by in a flash. Tristan had a vague memory of lots of tears, and pretty good music, and a buffet table to _die_ for, and of course lots of hugs and kisses exchanged all around. One memory stuck out in particular, though.

Towards the end of the night, Tristan ended up dancing with Mai once again. It was expected, after all; the best man and the maid of honor.

"You know," she remarked casually in the middle of the dance, "I think you're improving." At his confused look, she added, "At dancing. You're getting better."

"I am?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Yes. You- hold on a minute." She broke away, and Tristan had a moment of worrying that he'd done something wrong. But in the next second, she burst out laughing, and he saw that she was clutching Téa's bouquet of flowers.

"Oh!" he said, pleased. "You caught the-" Tristan was cut off as something flew through the air, hit his head, and became tangled in his gelled-up hair (to be honest, wrapped around his spike). He turned to see Joey waving frantically and him, and Téa cheerfully clapping her hands. All of a sudden he noticed that everyone else in the room was staring at him and Mai, smiling expectantly.

Knowing exactly what he would find, he reached up and pulled at the garter belt, wondering how on earth to use it.

Mai's face was flushed, but he couldn't tell if she was blushing or if the color had just come from the constant dancing. Her dress had a slit in it, and she quickly exposed her leg, smiling and waving and flashing the bouquet at all the guys in the room. Every guy except Tristan, that is.

He cautiously kneeled down and buckled the garter belt on. Her skin was soft; both cool and warm at the same time, and he was still trying to figure out how that could be when she reached down a hand to help him up. He grinned sheepishly at her, glad it was over, and she shrugged at him. "So, ah…" he said, searching for something to say. Certainly not '_Do you think this means something_?' "What type of flowers are those?"

She gave him a half-smile. "White roses, Tristan," she said, handing him the bouquet to sniff. "You couldn't tell?" Something was funny about her voice, but he couldn't figure out what, so he just shrugged.

Serenity and Duke were chanting something quietly across the room- Tristan supposed it must have been a countdown, because they threw the second bouquet and garter at the same time. The garter sailed across the room and into the hands of a very surprised Ryou. The bouquet of flowers landed on the floor, where various women lunged for it. Ryou took one look at them and threw the garter at Yugi and scampered away. He made a beeline for Marik at the refreshment table, and somewhere along the way his eyes narrowed and his hair spiked up. Tristan arched a brow to see Yami Bakura out freely, but all the spirit did was sit with Marik, plow through a plate of steak, and snicker at Yami. Yugi, with the garter belt, had apparently retreated into the Millennium Puzzle, leaving the Pharaoh alone to figure out how to not only work a garter belt but how to put it on the knee of Téa's eighty-year old great-aunt, the winner in the struggle of the bouquet.

"You have weird friends," Mai remarked casually.

"I know…" Tristan said, his voice somewhere between laughter and longing. He shot another glance at Serenity Devlin; it still hurt but not quite as much. When he turned his attention back to Mai, she was gazing meditatively at Joey, and he felt an odd pang again. 

"I'll miss you all, I suppose," she said off-handedly, but Tristan could tell she meant it. Except…

"Why? Where are you going?"

Mai shrugged: "Everywhere, I suppose. That's the great thing about dueling. You're not tied down."

"Hmm…" Tristan said thoughtfully. "If you were married, you would be."

"I know," she said, seemingly without thinking. "That's why I always figured…" her voice trailed away.

"That you'd marry another duelist?" He guessed.

Again, she simply shrugged. "I suppose so. Maybe I won't get married at all."

"Oh…" He thought a moment, then ventured to say: "You should get married." She twisted her head to look at him, but he avoided eye contact. "Don't let losing Joey stop you."

Tristan thought for sure that this would earn him a few snappish remarks, possibly a cuff on the ear, but she was silent. "We'll see," she said a full thirty seconds later. "Anyway…" she brushed her hair out of her face and carefully tossed her bouquet to a nearby chair. "I'm in the mood to dance right now. Care to join me?"

He looked at Serenity just as she leaned up and planted a kiss on her husband's forehead. 

"…Sure. I'd love to."

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*~*~*

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Ending Notes: Comments would be most appreciated. If I get nice reviews, actually, I might put up an epilogue. The contest rules say it's a one-shot, so it wouldn't count for *that*, but I'm in the mood for some *real* fluff, not just subtle hints… XD Anyway, thanks a lot for reading this! Cheers!


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